Crisis 7/21

Dachuny had a really rough week last week.  We were in Canada for a week, Ron went home, and the next day, Dachuny wasn't feeling right.  I woke him up and while carrying him outside to the grass, he peed on us.  Then, as if realizing it and upset at himself, he barked 3 upset barks.  I put him on the grass and his back legs gave out.  After a few seconds, he was able to stand and poop a couple of times.  It was normal-softening poop.  Then he just stood there and didn't move.  I carried him back into the house and again, he just stood there.  I immediately knew something was wrong.  After about 30 seconds, he walked slowly to his water bowl and drank, then walked back out and just stood there staring. 

After calling around local vets for appointments, I was able to bring him in and they did labs and xrays on his abdomen, and said he was likely in pain bc his stomach was stiff and clenched.  He also didn't make any sound or complaint at the vet (which is really unlike him).  They gave him subq fluids and a pain med injection, and sent me home to monitor with instructions that if he didn't get better by the afternoon, that he needed to go to the ER.  

 

I noticed his gums and tongue were really pale, and his paws were cool, which never happened.  His temp was low, confirmed at the vet - 37.4C.  I decided to give him some oxygen that I had preordered and after 15 min on it, his tongue and gums pinked up again. 

Looking back, it was likely the pain meds that made him so lethargic after the visit, but I took him into the ER later bc he was so limp and just lying there, but the U/S wouldn't be available until the next day, and they recommended hospitalizing him with an IV, sedating him so he could get a food tube down his throat, all while waiting for the ultrasound the next day and over $9k estimate for the 2-4 night ordeal.  

After talking it through with Ron, I decided I just wanted to take him home, and give him meds to keep him comfortable, with the likely possibility of having to say goodbye to him the next day.  

When they released him from the hospital, I think the pain meds wore off, and he bounded out of there like his life depended on it, pulling on his harness so hard, I had to pick him up.  He was walking around ok the rest of the day, but it consisted mostly of worsening diarrhea and napping, and he didn't want to eat much at all.  

I had my nephews and niece say goodbye 😞